William t



(No Model.)`

WITNEESES l INVENTUR 2351 his UNITED STATES WILLIAM T. BURTON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE WV. GOGIN, OF SAME PLACE.

HORSE HITCHING=WEIGHT.

SPECIFICATION' forming part Of Letters Patent No. S04-,073, dated August 26, 1884:.

(No model.)

.To all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that VILLIAM T. BURTON, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ho1'se-\Veigl1ts, of which the following is a specification.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1 is a View in perspective of my imro proved horsc-weight as it appears in practical operation. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the device. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the operating mechanism removed. Figli is a view of one of the side plates, E,

removed from the operating mechanism.

A represents the weight proper, provided with the concave cavity or chamber A. B is the cover, provided with the concave chamber B, and firmly bolted to the base A of the 2o weight by means of the bolts a and nuts c.

(See broken lines in Fig. 2.) A ring, b, is attached to the cover B, for convenience in handling the Weight. The concave chambers A and B' are of shape to accommodate a drum, O, rigidly secured to which are the circular boxes D, provided with the plates or disks E, secured to said boxes D by suitable bolts or connections, c. Teats f, extending from the flanges or rings, making parts of said boxes D, 3o extend into corresponding openings, k, in the plates or disks E, thus rigidly securing said plates E to said boxes D. The drum is hung loosely upon the horizontal spindle H, Said spindle being flattened or squared, as shown 55 at H, (see Fig. 3,) next its opposite ends, which lie in coincident grooves in the cover B and base A, said grooves tting the spin dle ends sui'iiciently to prevent the spindlefrom rotating. IVashers g are placed on the 4c spindle, as shown in Fig. 2, between the plates E and the chamber-walls, to prevent said plates from coming into contact with said walls.

In each box D is a coiled spring, h, one end 4 5 of which is secured tothe spindle H, and the other end to one of the bolts e.

Secured centrally to the drum C by means of a cross-pin, Z, or other suitable mechanical device, is a strap, I, which coils around said drum, passes up through an opening, N, in the cover B, and is provided with an ordinary snap-hook for attachment to the bit-ring of the bridle. In practical operation, when the weight is not in use, the strap I is drawn in through the opening a (the snap-hook only projecting) and around the drum C by the power of the springs h. As the strap is drawn out from the weight and attached to the horse s bridle, it, uncoiling, rotates the drum Otloose upon the spindle) against the force of the compressing-springs h, secured to the spindle. It will readily f be perceived that with every downward movement of the liorses head the strap is correspondingly drawn into the weight, and with every upward movement of the horses head the strap is correspondingly drawn out of the uf'eight, so that it cannot possibly become entangled in the legs of the animal or trodden upon and soiled, as is apt to be the case with straps attached to weights as 7o commonly constructed.

I am aware that a hollow weight provided with a barrel or spring for winding up the hitch-strap and retracting it into said weight is not new in this invention, which consists in the particular mechanism above described for accomplishing this result.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a horse-weight provided with means for retracting the hitch-strap, the combination of the base and cover A B, circular boxes D, each containing a coiled spring, 7L, disks E, provided with the openings 7i', teatsf, connections S5 e, spindle H, drum O, and cross-pin Z, all arranged and constructed substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

VILLIAM T. BURTON.

Witnesses: I

HENRY W. VILLLiius, Josnrn Isnnnnon. 

